Improvement in grain-driers



2` Sheets-Sheet. 1.`

El` A.v ABBOTT.

Grain Drier.

No. 87,613. Patented March 9,1869.

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gianni i E DSON A. AB BOTNT, OF B ALTI MORE, MARYLAND. Letters Patent No. 87,613, dated March 9, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N GRAIN-primas.

*Mrk- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making parl; of the same.

To till whom 'it 'may concern Be itlrnown that I, EDsoN A. ABBOTT, ofthe city of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Driers;7 .and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and correct description of -the same, reference being had to theacoompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the steam-chest, on line a: :c of iig. 2, the conveyor-shafts and gears being shown in view.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the apparatus, on line y y' of fig Figure 3 is an elevation bf the end of the steamchest, the plane being indicated by line s z of fig. l.

The same part is marked by the same letter of reference wherever it occurs.

The nature of the invention consists in the construction of an apparatus, in the manner hereinafter described, for the drying of damp grainby subjecting it, while passing through metallic tubes, or dues, to the combined iniiuence of dryheat derived from steam and currents of hot or cold air passing continually over and among it, as hereinafter specified.

To enable others, skilled in the art .to make and use my improved grain-drier, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the accompanying drawings by the letters of reference marked The various parts of the apparatus are supported by a stout frame, A, i-n which the journals of the several 'shafts are hung.

B marks av winch", which indicates the point of application ofthe driving-power, at the end of the upper shaft G. l

0n' this shaft is the gear-wheel D, which is the upper one of a series of gears, E F G H I J, all of equal size, and attached respectively to the shafts E', F', G', H', I', and J', which are driven by them, each shaft revolving in a direction opposite to that of the shaft above or below it. y, I

On the middle of slaft O is attached the grooved pulley K, which, by means of cord L, drives a smaller grooved pulley, M, (see g. 2,) on the upper end of fan-shaft N, which, passing through fan-box O, turns in a step, P', fixed to the base of the apparatus. l g

Attached to shaft N, is the fan P, which revolves horizontally inthe fan-box O.

Q marks a large rectangular steam-chest, havin gthe inlet-pipe It, andthe outlet-pipe S, for the entrance and escape of steam.

Through this chest pass the metallic iiues T, which are open at both ends, but do not communicate with the interiorof the steam-chest. l

The shafts i', F', G', H', l', and J having the spiral slotted conveyer-blades U upon them, are hung in the cent-re of the flues T, and rotate in them.

The lines communicate with each other, by means of the sponts b c d ef, the upper iiue being fed with grain through spout n, and the lowermost one being discharged through spout y.

Sliding troughs, h fi, may be so arranged as to cut oi' communication between any two lines, when desired, and effect a delivery of the grain at any point that may be preferred.

The conveyor-flights U are perforated with small openings, as shown, to allow ofthe passage ofair through them, and to facilitate the passage of the air-currents through the dues. A

Air-passages, V V V, V V V', passing through the shell of the steam-chest, lead from the upper side of the middle of the fines T, to the trunks W W', which communicate respectively, by the air-passages X and X', with the upper and lower openings ofthe fan-box O.

The whole apparatus may be enclosed in a chamber, like the air-chamber of a hot-air furnace, which, by confining the heat radiated by the steam-chest, would retard the condensation of the steam, and raise the temperature ofthe air supplied to the flues T.

Cocks are provided, for drawing off the water of con-I densation, gates, for cleaning the interior of the apparatns, and air and steam-valves, for the regulation of pressure and temperature. v The operation is as follows:

s 'The steam-chest- Q is supplied with steam, eitherv direct from a boiler, or from the exhaust of an engine,

which enters at the inlet R, and escapes through outlet-pipe S. Its course ismarked by the blue arrows, iig. 2. The metallic lines T are thus kept at a temperature sufficientl y high to drivethe moisture out of the grain, without danger of scorching or killing it.

Motion being impartedyto the shafts by the drivingpower, the. damp grain is introduced into the apparatus through the spout a, and is carried through the upper flue by the action of the spiral conveyor-nights U. At the end of the iirst flue it falls into the spout b, which .delivers itl to the second -tlue, through which it is carried in a direction opposite to that in which it moved in the iirst flue. At the end of the second flue it falls into spout c, which delivers it to the-third flue, and thus the operation is continued till the grain, unless sooner delivered, emrges from the lowest spout g.

It may be drawn off, however, at any pointdesired, by the sliding spouts h i, as before mentioned. Y

During its whole course it is continually stirred and turned, as well as' driven forward, by the conveyorligh ts U.

While the grain is thus passing through the iues T, the fan P, which is an exhaust or suction-fan, is rapidly rotated in its box, and keeps up a brisk current of air in the direction indicated by the red arrows in iigs. l and 2, viz, in at both ends of the ues T, and out through passages V V', W W', X-XQand box O, into the open air, carrying with it the moisture driven out of the grain by the heat imparted to i-t in its passage through the rines.

This blast, Whether hot or cold, tends to lower the temperature of thc grain, heated by contact with the metallic fines, by reasonot' the rapid evaporation which it causes, so that the grain at its delivery'is at quite a moderate temperature.

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As different lots of damp grain contain different amounts of moisture, some are more readii y dried than others, and need not be passed through so many fines.

These may be discharged by means of a sliding spout,

at the end of any flue of the series, according to the judgment ofthe operator.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination and arrangement of the steamchest Q, ues T, conveyers U, and suction-fan P, substantially in the manner. and for the purpose described.

2. The apparatus, substantially as described, whereby damp grain is subjected to the combined and simultaneous action-of heatderivedfrom steam, and of hot or cold currents of air, for the purpose at once of expelling and carrying ofI the superabnndaut moisture, in the manner set forth.

3. The perforated conveyer-fiights U, constructed as and for the purpose specified.

The above specification of my said invention signed and witnessed at Washington, this 10th day of December, A. D, 186s. y

EDsoN A. ABBOTT.

Witnesses E. J. SMITH, GHAs. F. STANSBURY.

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